Ireland’s rich aviation heritage will be celebrated this weekend with a special ceremony honouring one of the nation’s most important aviation pioneers, Colonel James C. Fitzmaurice. The commemorative event, organised by the Col James Fitzmaurice Memorial Ceremony, will take place at Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin on Saturday, 26th September 2026.
Hosted by the Col James Fitzmaurice Commemorative Society and the Fitz100 Centenary Committee, the gathering will mark the anniversary of Fitzmaurice’s death on 26 September 1965 while also looking ahead to the centenary celebrations in 2028 of the historic Bremen flight, the first successful east-to-west transatlantic flight.
For Irish aviation enthusiasts, Fitzmaurice remains one of the most significant figures in the story of flight. Born in County Kerry, the Irish Air Corps officer served as co-pilot aboard the German aircraft Bremen when it departed Baldonnel Aerodrome in April 1928. Together with German pilot Hermann Köhl and Baron Ehrenfried Günther von Hünefeld, Fitzmaurice completed what many historians considered to be the more challenging transatlantic direction, flying east-to-west against the prevailing winds before landing on Greenly Island, Canada.
The achievement cemented Ireland’s place in global aviation history and helped establish Baldonnel as one of the world’s most significant aerodromes of the era. Saturday’s ceremony will begin with guests arriving at 1:45pm, followed by a welcome address, a review of Fitzmaurice’s achievements and the laying of wreaths at his graveside. The programme will also include a Piper’s Lament and Honour Guard salute before attendees move indoors for presentations on plans for the forthcoming 2028 centenary commemorations. A question-and-answer session and informal reception will conclude the event.
According to the organisers, the ceremony aims not only to honour Fitzmaurice’s legacy but also to raise awareness of the approaching centenary of the Bremen flight, an anniversary expected to attract significant interest from the Irish and international aviation communities.
As Ireland approaches the 100th anniversary of one of aviation’s landmark achievements, this weekend’s gathering offers an opportunity to reflect on the courage, determination and pioneering spirit of the men who helped open the North Atlantic to aviation. Long before regular airline services connected Europe and North America, Fitzmaurice and his fellow crew members demonstrated that such journeys were possible, securing their place in aviation history.
Event Details
What: Col James Fitzmaurice Memorial Ceremony
When: Saturday, 26th September 2026, from 2:00pm
Where: Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin
Hosted by: Col James Fitzmaurice Commemorative Society and the Fitz100 Centenary Committee
More details are available here.
